April Fools

Chapter 9

Hey guys! Welcome back to Hazel’s Rants! This month, I’ll be raging about inflation—I mean, what kind of burger costs $10? Yeah, okay, okay, you’re probably expecting me to talk about Hippogriff sales like I did last year for April’s edition of HMN, so sorry, but that ain't happening.

You might currently be thinking, “Um, Hazel? What the literal heck? You’re not some inflation expert. Quit the act!” Well, you’re right—or are you? The paragraph above was just me messing around with you and your gullible brain cells (just kidding)! Soo…

APRIL FOOLS!

Yup! You should've already figured it out from the title of this chapter, but I’m here to inform you about this mischievous, fun, and lighthearted celebration named after a month and nincompoops… So, let’s dive into it!

April Fool's Day is commemorated on April 1st annually. However, you don’t absolutely have to celebrate it on the first day. Perhaps you could keep the fun throughout the whole month!

April Fool’s is a day on which people prank their friends and family in a joking manner. It makes people laugh and smile… or become infuriated with you :) But, moving on! It’s one of my favourite days of the year, and I’m sure it could be yours too.

As we are nearing the end of this chapter, let me present you with… THREE fun facts!

1. You know the Gregorian Calendar, the system we primarily use today to determine the date? It was invented in the 16th century, and in this calendar, the New Year is celebrated on January 1st. Before, however, people celebrated the New Year on the 25th of March, and in France, celebrations often lasted until the first day of April. People who kept celebrating the New Year from March 25 to April 1 were called “April Fools” and pranked. Aww, poor them!

2. April Fool's Day is believed to be connected to Hilaria, an ancient Roman festival. It occurred towards the end of March to honour Cybele, a goddess. Because it was a day full of happiness, joy, and celebration, people tended to dress up silly and play jokes on each other!

3. April 1st is Fred and George Weasley’s birthday! Happy birthday, George, R.I.P. Fred :(

To conclude, April Fool's is a joyous celebration full of amusement, pranks, and jokes! There are many different pranks you can play on others—check out some here: https://parade.com/984978/kelseypelzer/april-fools-pranks/

Make sure that your planned prank is harmless and will in no way hurt others. Thanks for reading. Goodbye!

Written by Hazel Antler.
Edited by Hazel Antler.
Proofread by Daphne Clarke.